Tank car



Dec. 1924- 1,519,507

J. RATH TANK CAR 'Filed Feb. 17, 1920 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN BATH, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY.

TANK CAR.

Application filed February 17, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BATH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Bayonne, Hudson County, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tank Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to tank cars or the like and has special reference to such as are provided with an outlet projection at the bottom having an outlet valve controlled by a vertical rod extending into the dome of the car.

One object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary or supplemental outlet valve for cars of the aforesaid character, and thereby facilitate the control of the outlet in case the main valve is not operating properly.

Tank cars for transporting oil and other liquids, are usually provided with adome at the top near the center, and an outlet projection at the bottom substantially opposite the dome. vided with a valve having a long stem which extends vertically upward into the dome and controls the outflow of liquid while render-,

ing it difficult, if not impossible, for an unauthorized person to withdraw liquid through the outlet. The outlet is usually provided with a screw cap below the valve, to keep the outlet clean and prevent loss of liquid in case there is any leakage through the valve.

Structures of this character present certain difliculties in case the long stem of the main valve becomes bent, or disarranged so as to prevent the seating of the valve, because the stem may be bent below the surface of the liquid, so that the upper end of the stem has the usual appearance corresponding to the closed position of the valve and the trouble cannot be easily detected.

It is obvious that under these conditions, the operator in preparing to withdraw the oil or other liquid from the tank, has no warning that the valve is open and may take off the cap and waste considerable oil before he can get it on again. In any event it is impossible to draw the liquid from the outlet and in some cases it is necessary when the valve is not in working order to utilize a The mouth of the outlet is pro- Serial No. 359,451.

hose extending into the tank through the dome and to pump the liquid out.

According to my invention, these difficulties are overcome by equipping the cap with a valve which may be opened to enable liquid to be withdrawn if desired, and in any event to indicate whether or not the main valve is Working properly.

Various advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in this art, and in order that my invention may be thoroughly understood, I will describe the same in the following specification and will then point out the novel features thereof in appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing a portion of the tank car and indicating the relation of my improved auxiliary outlet valve to the main valve.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of a cap equipped with the auxiliary valve of my invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, Figures 2 and 3 being drawn to a relatively large scale.

In the drawings, 10 designates a tank car having the usual dome 11 and the usual outlet projection 12. A main outlet valve 13 controls the mouth of the outlet and has a long stem let which extends upwardly into the dome 1.1. The stem is provided with a spring 15, which tends to hold the valve on its seat, and an adjustable head 16 which adapted to cooperate with a bracket 17 in holding the valve open, as desired.

A cap 18 is provided at the bottom of the outlet and is shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3, to which special reference may now be had.

Gap oaloe.

The cap valve has a screw-threaded socket 1.9 which is adapted to be screwed onto the lower end of the outlet projection 12. The cap instead of being closed in the usual manner, is provided with an opening 20 having an auxiliary plug 21 at the bottom and a valve 22 at the top. The valve is seated downwardly against an annular shoulder 23 at the mouth of the opening 20, and has a downwardly extending projection or stem 2% which terminates in a toothed rack This rack cooperates with a gear wheel 26 on a control shaft 27 which extends laterally through the lower partof the cap. The shaft also has a star wheel 28 with which a pawl 29 is adapted to cooperate.

A releasable stem section 30 extends outwardly through the wall of the cap and terminates in a square head 31 or other simi lar formation with which a wrench may cooperate. The adjustable section has a spring 32 tending to press it outwardly and a cam 33 at its inner end, which is adapted to engage the pawl 29 and throw it into engagement with the star wheel 28 in opposition to a spring 84 when the section 30 is pressed inwardly by the attendant when he desires to lock the valve open.

The arrangement of parts is such that the weight of liquid in the tank tends to overhaul the gearing and automatically shut the valve.

The advantages of my auxiliary Valve will be apparent to those skilled in this art, but attention may be directed to the fact that if the main valve 13 is out of commission the auxiliary valve may be utilized for controlling the outfiow of fluid and thus avoid the necessity for pumping the liquid out through the dome. If, on the other hand, the valve is in perfect working order, this fact can be readily and positively ascertained by first opening the valve 22 to a small extent, and if there is no leakage the cap 18 may be removed in the usual manner. The details of the valve actuating mechanism may of course be modified within the spirit and scope of my invention, and I intend that only such limitations be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a tank car having an outlet and a main valve therefor controlled from the dome, of a detachable cap constructed to be secured to the outlet, a valve in said cap comprising a valve movable in a vertical plane against the weight of the liquid in the tank car, an operating shaft positioned at an angle to the direction of movement of said valve, gearing operatively connecting said shaft with said valve and adapted to permit movement of the valve into its closed position by pressure of liquid in the tank car, and means for maintaining said valve displaced.

2. The combination with a tank car having an outlet and a main valve therefor controlled from the dome, of a detachable cap constructed to be secured to the outlet shaft positioned at an angle to the direction of movement of said valve, gearing operatively connecting said shaft with said valve and adapted to permit movement of the valve into its closed position by pressure of liquid in the tank car, and means comprising a notched wheel secured to said shaft and an independently mounted pawl engaging said wheel for maintaining said valve in its displaced position, the valve being displaced by rotary movement of said shaft and the maintaining means being actuated by longitudinal movement of a portion of said shaft.

3. The combination with a tank car having an outlet and a main valve therefor controlled from the dome, of a detachable cap constructed to be secured to the outlet and a valve in said cap comprising a valve movable in a vertical plane against the weight of the liquid in the tank car, an operating shaft positioned at an angle to the direction of movement of said valve, gearing operatively connecting said shaft with said valves and adapted to permit movement of the valve into its closed position by pressure of liquid in the tank car, said shaft being operatively interconnected with said valve whereby rotary movement of the shaft displaces the valve and having a longitudinally movable collar slidably mounted thereon, and means for maintaining said valve in a displaced position, said maintaining means being actuated by longitudinal movement of said collar.

4. The combination with a tank car having an outlet and a. main valve therefor controlled from the dome, of a detachable cap constructed to be secured to the outlet and a valve in said cap comprising a valve movable in a vertical plane against the weight of the liquid in the tank car, an operating shaft positioned at an angle to the direction of movement of said valve, gearing operatively connecting said shaft with said valve and adapted to permit movement of the valve into its closed position by pressure of liquid in the tank car, a collar slidably mounted at one end of the shaft, a notched member secured to said shaft, a pawl adapted to engage said notched member, and resilient means for normally maintaining said pawl and notched member out of engagement, said collar being adapted to force said pawl into engagement with said notched member to maintain said shaft in fixed position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto setmy hand this 9th day of February, 1920.

JOHN BATH. 

